WELCOME TO AZTALAN NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK Indian peoples occupied this area off and on for many years before a new group of Indian people arrived who built the large mounds and other prehistoric features that now characterize Aztalan, a federally-designated National Historic Landmark. The people who inhabited the prehistoric village of Aztalan (ca. A.D. 1100 - 1250) hailed from the major Mississippian town of Cahokia, located near present-day St. Louis. Aztalan is one of Cahokia’s northernmost settlements. Why the people of Aztalan chose this location and why they later abandoned it is unclear. However, the location did provide an important transportation route (with access to Cahokia via the Crawfish, Rock, and Mississippi Rivers) as well as abundant local plant, animal, and other resources. In addition to hunting and gathering, the people grew corn, squash, sunflower and tobacco. Trading with other resident Indian communities also likely occurred. Kenosha PublicKenosha artist: Museum; Rob Evans This vibrant community built ceremonial and burial mounds, houses, stockades, fish weirs, garden beds, and other features. In its heyday, several hundred Indian people called Aztalan home. Aztalan National Historic Landmark SITE MAP The people who built and occupied the prehistoric village of Aztalan N (ca. A.D. 1100 – 1250) replicated major features found at the much W E larger Middle Mississippian site of Cahokia near modern day St. Louis. S 2 An outer stockade with bastions surrounded the 22 acre enclosure, with two additional stockade systems inside the enclosure. It is not known if all of these walls were standing at the same time. Additional mounds and other prehistoric earthworks are located east of the Crawfish River. 3 1 THE SOUTHWEST PLATFORM MOUND, the site’s largest and principal mound, was not a burial mound, but did have a large structure on its summit that was likely used for communal ritual activities. 2 THE NORTHWEST PLATFORM MOUND is associated with numerous burials. To the northwest and outside of the stockade (not shown on residential the map) is a line of several conical (circular) shaped mounds, built to area commemorate important events. This line of mounds once extended well to the north and includes the famous “Princess Mound”, located plaza behind the historic structures just north of the park. This mound contained the remains of a young woman covered in thousands of shell beads. 1 3 THE NORTHEAST PLATFORM MOUND, originally no more than five feet high, has been greatly reduced by cultivation and is today visible only as a slight rise marking the mound’s southern edge. THE SOUTHEAST MOUND, often referred to as the “Gravel Knoll”, 4 Crawfish River has been shown to be a small glacial kame modified by Aztalan’s 4 inhabitants to resemble a platform mound. This “birds-eye view” of the Aztalan site - as it may have looked in its heyday - was produced by archaeologists from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; artist: Eric Paulson Aztalan National Historic Landmark SITE MAP The people who built and occupied the prehistoric village of Aztalan (ca. A.D. 1100 – 1250) replicated major features found at the much larger Middle Mississippian site of Cahokia near modern day St. Louis. E An outer stockade with bastions surrounded the 22 N S W acre enclosure, with two additional stockade systems inside the enclosure. It is not known if all of these walls were standing at the same time. Additional mounds Crawfish River and other prehistoric earthworks are located east of the Crawfish River. THE SOUTHWEST PLATFORM MOUND, the site’s largest and 3 1 principal mound, was not a burial mound, but did have a large structure on its summit that was likely used for communal residential area ritual activities. 2 THE NORTHWEST PLATFORM MOUND is associated with numerous burials. To the northwest and outside of the stockade (not 2 shown on the map) is a line of several conical (circular) shaped 4 mounds, built to commemorate important events. This line plaza of mounds once extended well to the north and includes the famous “Princess Mound”, located behind the historic structures just north of the park. This mound contained the remains of a young woman covered in thousands of shell beads. 3 THE NORTHEAST PLATFORM MOUND, originally no more than five feet high, has been greatly reduced by cultivation and is today 1 visible only as a slight rise marking the mound’s southern edge. 4 THE SOUTHEAST MOUND, often referred to as the “Gravel Knoll”, has been shown to be a small glacial kame modified by Aztalan’s inhabitants to resemble a platform mound. This “birds-eye view” of the Aztalan site - as it may have looked in its heyday - Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; artist: Eric Paulson was produced by archaeologists from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Aztalan National Historic Landmark THE CAHOKIA CONNECTION Mississippian people settled over much of eastern North America during the Late Prehistoric period. The people who built and occupied Aztalan (ca. A.D. 1100 – 1250) replicated major features found at the principal Mississippian site and ceremonial center of Cahokia, located near present day St. Aztalan itself has been recognized as Louis. At Cahokia, these features included an extensive stockade, platform and other mounds, a one of only 2500 federally-designated large central plaza, distinct ritual and residential areas, agricultural fields, as well as a “woodhenge” National Historic Landmarks. used to predict the seasonal solstices and equinoxes. Archaeological research at Aztalan, including analysis of stone tools and pottery, indicates a direct connection with Cahokia – at least some of Aztalan’s residents appear to have come from the Cahokia area. The Crawfish River provided ready access from Aztalan to Cahokia via the Rock and Mississippi Rivers. FEATURES FOUND AT CAHOKIA WERE BUILT TO A MUCH LARGER SCALE THAN THOSE FOUND AT AZTALAN As an example, the main platform mound at Cahokia - Monks Mound, The scale of Cahokia reflects the size of its population, an estimated the largest prehistoric earthen structure north of Mexico - measures 20,000 or more people versus the 300 or so who lived at Aztalan. In its approximately 1000 feet by 800 feet and is 100 feet high. In comparison, time, Cahokia rivaled other major cities of the world in its size, technological Aztalan’s southwest platform mound is about 180 feet by 130 feet and achievement, trading networks, complexity of social organization, and stands 16 feet high. influence. Aztalan represents neo of the northernmost Cahokia-related settlements built and occupied during Cahokia’s zenith. Ann Scott, DNR Recognizing Cahokia’s status as a cultural heritage site of international significance, Townsend the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated Cahokia a World Heritage Site in 1982, placing it on a par with England’s Stonehenge, Peru’s Machu Picchu, Egypt’s Great Pyramids, and other Cahokia Mounds State Historic artist: Site; K. Lloyd remarkable places of the ancient world. Aztalan National Historic Landmark APPEARANCE AND MANNER OF DRESS Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site; artist: Michael Hampshire Based on European explorers’ descriptions, contemporary artists, along with archaeologists and others, have depicted a variety of clothing types worn by Mississippian peoples living throughout the southeastern part of the continent. THE CLOTHING STYLES WORN BY THE PEOPLE OF AZTALAN varied SPECIAL SYMBOLS, GARB, AND ADORNMENT, including copper with an individual’s position in the community, with most people and shell beads, ear spools, and “long-nosed god” maskettes wearing utilitarian, day-to-day clothes, and higher ranking were associated with ritual activities and burial practices. individuals wearing more elaborate clothes. Variations in dress and appearance tend to underscore distinctions in social class and at the same time reinforce community identity. Aztalan National Historic Landmark OTHER ARTIFACTS Lake Mills-Aztalan Historical Daniel Museum; Seurer Milwaukee Public Daniel Museum; Seurer Lake Mills-Aztalan Historical Daniel Museum; Seurer Bone awls and copper pendant “maskettes” (above), shell beads (top right), and ear spools (lower right); not to scale. While pottery and stone tools are the most common and durable artifacts found at Aztalan, other items were crafted of animal bone, shell, and copper. Shell was fashioned into spoons, pendants, and beads, and native copper was used to make fishhooks, beads, and earspool coverings. HOLLOW AND LIGHT WEIGHT BIRD BONES WERE MADE INTO FLUTES PLANT MATERIALS WERE ALSO MIXED AS A BINDER WITH CLAY and used for ornamentation. Harder and more solid deer bone and used like plaster to coat the outside of houses and stockade was worked to create awls, bone needles, and other tools. Fibers walls. When the structures burned, the fire would bake the from tree bark and other plants were used to make clothing, bags, plaster into a hard, brick-like material. Visitors to the site in the netting and other items. mid-1800s misidentified the baked plaster as mud bricks. Today this material is known to archaeologists as “Aztalan brick”. Aztalan National Historic Landmark SOCIAL ORGANIZATION Cahokia Mounds State Historic artist: Site; Michael Hampshire At Cahokia, a member of the Mississippian elite and his retinue welcome the rising sun, ever a symbol of renewal and rebirth. Specialized crafts, extensive trade networks, and construction of large structures (stockades and mounds) demonstrates a high degree of social organization and complexity. AZTALAN’S LAYOUT, WITH COMMUNAL STRUCTURES ATOP THE TREATMENT OF THE DEAD, WITH CERTAIN MEMBERS BURIED IN NORTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST PLATFORM MOUNDS and a distinct MOUNDS and others buried in non-mound contexts, again reflects residential area where the majority of the population lived and a prevailing social hierarchy. The plaza provided a shared space worked, reflects the community members’ varied social functions where elite and lay villagers interacted in communal and ritual and status.